Modifiers ที่ทำหน้าที่ขยาย Verbs และ Sentences
ในบางกรณีก็ยากที่จะแยกแยะว่า adverbial ตัวหนึ่งนั้นขยาย verb หรือขยายทั้งประโยค ลองเปรียบเทียบ 2 ประโยคต่อไปนี้

He read the letter naturally. (naturally ในที่นี้ขยายกริยา read คือเขาอ่านจดหมายด้วยนำเสียงที่เป็นธรรมชาติ)

Naturally he read the letter. (naturally ในที่นี้ขยายทั้งประโยค ซึ่งหมายความว่ามันเป็นเรื่องปกติธรรมดาที่เขาอ่านจดหมาย)

แต่ในประโยค Sometimes he opened the letters without reading them. นั้น adverb “sometimes” ผู้พูดอาจตั้งใจใช้ขยายประโยคทั้งประโยคหรือขยายแค่กริยา opened ก็ได้

Adverbials สามารถใช้เป็น complements (คำหรือกลุ่มคำที่ทำให้ประโยคมีความหมายสมบูรณ์) ดังตัวอย่างต่อไปนี้

Adverbials of Time
ใช้เพื่อตอบคำถามจำพวก When? At what time? On what day?

• เป็น adverbs เช่น today, tonight, tomorrow, yesterday, now,
  then, once, before, after, afterwards, lately, recently, already, soon, shortly, presently, directly, just, yet, still, …

  ตัวอย่าง : adverbs of time ที่ใช้ในประโยค
  
  I have just seen him pass.
  
  He is still away.
  
  He isn’t back yet.
  I once saw him do it.
  
  I saw him do it before.

• เป็น prepositionless groups เช่น one day, some day, the other day,
  twenty years after, later on, just then, just now, sooner or later
• เป็น prepositional phrases เช่น by now, before then, at that time, at
  present, in future, in the past, at first, at last
• เป็น participial phrases เช่น
  
  Looking up the river, we saw a great number of sailing ships.
  
  Seeing me, he abruptly stopped.
• เป็น gerundial phrases เช่น
  
  You had better finish this before starting anything fresh.
  
  After having finished my work, I went to bed.
  
  On somebody’s asking him for advice, he wrote a book on it.
• เป็น nominal phrase (noun phrase) เช่น
  
  This done, he bade us good-night.
  
  The sun having gone down, we hurried on.
• เป็น clauses
  
  When I have time, I shall do that.
  
  You had better write it while you are here.

Adverbials of Duration
ใช้ตอบคำถามจำพวก How long? For how long? Since when? Until when?

• ถ้าเป็น adverb of duration มีตัวเดียวคือ long แต่ในภาษาพูดคนทั่วไปมักใช้ a long
  time แทน นอกจากในกรณีต่อไปนี้
  I shan’t be long.
  Have you been waiting long?
  I don’t know whether I shall be away long or not.
  As long as, so long, too long, how long, long enough, etc.
• เป็น prepositionless groups เช่น
  He plays all day long.
  I have been away all these years.

  ส่วนวลีที่มี preposition “for” นำหน้านั้น มักละ for ไว้ เช่น
  Wait (for) a minute.
  I have been here (for) quite a long time.

• เป็น prepositional phrases
  Prepositions ที่นำมาใช้แบบนี้มี for, since (ever since), till (until) และ up to เช่น
  We stayed in the town for two weeks.
  It had been a small village up to the beginning of this century.
• เป็น gerundial phrases เช่น
  I have not had a day’s rest since leaving home.
• เป็น clauses เช่น
  I have done nothing since I came back.

Adverbials of Frequency

ใช้ตอบคำถามจำพวก How often? ซึ่งบอกถึงความถี่หรือความบ่อยของการกระทำ

• เป็น adverbs
  Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, annually.
  Always, generally, regularly, continually.
  Frequently, often, sometimes, occasionally, rarely, seldom.
  Once, twice, ever, never.
• เป็น group-adverbs
  Nearly always, very frequently, very often, very rarely, very seldom, hardly ever, scarcely ever…
  Now and then, off and on, from time to time, once in a way, once in a while, at times.
  Every day, every week, every month, every year…
  Every other day, every other week, …
  Every two days, every three weeks, every four years, …
  Once a week, twice a day, three times a year, …
• เป็น clauses เช่น
  That’s what I feel whenever I see him.

Adverbials of Place and Movement
ใช้ตอบคำถามจำพวก Where?

• เป็น adverbs นอกจาก here, there, where, anywhere, somewhere,
  everywhere, nowhere ที่เป็น adverbs of places ยังมี adverbs ที่ทำหน้าที่เหมือน prepositions อีกจำนวนไม่น้อยที่ถูกใช้กับสถานที่และการเคลื่อนไหว home เป็นคำนามเพียงตัวเดียวที่อาจใช้เสมือนเป็น adverb

  ตัวอย่าง : adverbials of place
  I found it here, not there.
  I haven’t seen them anywhere.
  Come in.
  Let’s go home.

  ในบางกรณี adverbs อาจเป็น complements ก็ได้

• เป็น prepositionless groups เช่น
  He would not look my way.
  She lived next door.
• เป็น prepositional phrases เช่น
  He is taking a walk in the garden (or down the street, along the river).
  There isn’t much to be seen (on) this side of the river.
• เป็น clauses เช่น
  Where there is a will, there is a way.

Adverbials of Distance
ใช้ตอบคำถามจำพวก How far?

• เป็น adverbs มี 2 ตัว คือ far และ near
  It isn’t very far.
• เป็น prepositionless groups เช่น
  
  The school is a mile and a half away.
  
  It’s a long way from here.
  I walked twenty miles yesterday.
• เป็น prepositional phrases เช่น
  As far as the bridge
  Along to the end
  Down to the station
  From London to Paris
• เป็น clauses เช่น
  I’ll go as far as I like.
  
  The thermometer has gone up to where it was yesterday.

Adverbials of Manner
ใช้ตอบคำถามจำพวก How? What like? In what way? In what manner? In what circumstances?

• adverbs ส่วนใหญ่เป็น adverbs of manner
  เช่น
  actively, passively, angrily, kindly, clearly, vaguely, gently, smoothly, purposely, intentionally, unintentionally
• เป็น prepositionless groups เช่น
  I always travel third class.
  I bought it second-hand.
• เป็น prepositional phrases เช่น
  
  He is doing it in earnest (with great care, without enthusiasm).
  Now don’t talk like that (like a madman).
  
  He spoke in a decided way (manner, fashion).
• เป็น participial phrases เช่น
  
  He learned those words very carefully, first writing them down in his copy-book, then reading them several times, then repeating them from memory.
• เป็น gerundial phrases เช่น
  I got the address by asking the policeman.
  By doing it this way, you will save a lot of time.
• เป็น nominal phrases เช่น
  They came out arm in arm (one by one, one after another).
  She stood silent, her head slightly on one side.
  Don’t speak with your mouth full.
• เป็น clauses เช่น
  Everybody feels exactly as you do.

Adverbials of Comparison and Proportion
ถ้าไม่นับ adverbs พวก so, likewise, similarly, proportionally และ phrases ที่ขึ้นต้นด้วย in proportion to และ according to แล้ว adverbials of comparison and proportion จะมีแต่ clauses เท่านั้น
ตัวอย่าง: adverbials of comparison and proportion
You are sixteen years old, and so am I.

Their wages have not been increased in proportion to their expenses.

Adverbials of Cause and Reason
ใช้ตอบคำถามจำพวก Why? For what reason?

• เป็น prepositional phrases เช่น
  
  We couldn’t go out on account of the weather.
  
  He was refused admission because of his age.
• เป็น infinitive phrases เช่น
  I am glad to see you.
  Everybody was sorry to hear it.
• เป็น gerundial phrases เช่น
  The boy was punished for breaking the glass window.
  She was awarded the prize for having done the best work in English.
• เป็น participial phrases เช่น
  Seeing me, he abruptly stopped.
  Being late, I hurried.
• เป็น nominal phrases เช่น
  Their conversation being in Russian, I did not understand one word.
  Being Sunday, the shops were all closed.
• เป็น clauses เช่น
  As it was Sunday, the shops were mostly closed.

Adverbials of Purpose
ใช้ตอบคำถามจำพวก What for?

• เป็น prepositional phrases เช่น
  He went out for a walk.
  I am doing it for your good.
• เป็น gerundial phrases เช่น
  The thing is used for pulling out nails.
  I am not here for the purpose of making a speech.
• เป็น infinitive phrases เช่น
  I have come here to learn English.
  I did that just to annoy him.
• เป็น clauses เช่น
  I put it here so that he can see it when he comes.

Adverbials of Result

• เป็น adverbs so, consequently, accordingly, therefore, hence เช่น
  He didn’t turn up, so I had to do it all by myself.
  You didn’t do it the way I told you to. Hence all the trouble.

  Adverbs เหล่านี้ไม่ใช่ conjunctions และมักจะอยู่ที่ด้านหน้าของ clause หรือที่ด้านหน้าของ independent sentence

• เป็น prepositional phrases เช่น
  
  To his surprise, the thing began to move.
  
  Then he failed to turn up, to the disappointment of all of us.
• เป็น infinitive phrases เช่น
  
  She woke up to find all this a dream.
  
  You have only to ask to get it.
• เป็น clauses เช่น
  I was so tired (that) I went to bed at once.

Adverbials of Condition and Supposition
ใช้ตอบคำถามจำพวก In what case? On what condition? In what circumstances?

• เป็น participial phrases เช่น
  
  Born in better times, he would have been a great scholar.
  
  Left to herself, she would never have consented.
• เป็น infinitive phrases เช่น
  I should be sorry to see such a day.
  
  A man would be blind not to see that.
• เป็น nominal phrases เช่น
  
  Weather permitting, we shall start on Monday.
  
  All things considered, the offer seems quite acceptable.
• เป็น clauses เช่น
  If you see John, tell him I want him.
  I’ll do it tomorrow, if I have time.

Adverbials of Concession and Indifference

• Adverbs และ phrases เช่น yet, still, however, nevertheless,
  though, anyhow, anyway, all the same, for all that, after all, at all events, at all costs, at any rate, in any case, …

  ตัวอย่าง: adverbs และ phrases ที่เป็น adverbials of concession and indifference
  
  Still, it may be true.
  
  It was true, though.
  It is strange and yet true.
  I’ll have to go, all the same.
  
  After all, we are only human.

• Prepositional phrases ที่เป็น adverbials of concession and
  indifference มักตามหลังกลุ่ม preposition “in spite of” และ “for all”
  I went there in spite of the rain.
  
  He did it in spite of what I told him.
  For all his money he is not happy.
  
  He is a villain, for all his charming smiles.
• เป็น clauses เช่น
  
  Though I went to bed so late last night, I got up early this morning.

Adverbials of Degree and Measure

ใช้ตอบคำถามจำพวก How much? How? Adverbials ชนิดนี้ใช้ขยาย adjectives และ adverbs เป็นหลัก เช่น
He is quite a gentleman.

I fully (quite, perfectly) understand your position.

I like it very much.

Adverbials of Judgement and Opinion

• Adverbs ที่ใช้กันบ่อยๆ ได้แก่ yes, no, not, indeed, really, truly,
  actually, evidently, certainly, sure, surely, necessarily, possibly, impossibly, probably, improbably, likely, perhaps, naturally, simply, happily, luckily, fortunately, unfortunately, …

  ตัวอย่าง:
  Then you are coming?—Certainly.
  It simply has to go.
  Luckily, there were two of us.
  Unfortunately, he was born an only child.

• Phrases, prepositional and prepositionless ที่ใช้กันบ่อยๆ ได้แก่
  of
  course, no doubt, in a sense, in a way, in some ways, in this respect, in certain respects, in some respects, …
  You know it better than I, of course.
  No doubt, you know better than I.
  In a way it is true.
  In some respects war creates as well as destroys, purifies as well as corrupts.
• Infinitive และ participial phrases ที่พบบ่อย คือ to be sure, to be
  exact, to tell the truth, to say the least, so to speak, generally speaking, strictly speaking, roughly speaking, considering the circumstances, …

  ตัวอย่าง:
  To be sure, it is a difficult book.
  I saw him a few days ago—last Friday, to be exact.
  You are a fool, to say the least.
  Some people are lions, so to speak, and some are lambs.
  Generally speaking, a bad government is better than no government.

• เป็น clauses เช่น
  I guess you are at it again.
  That’s all right, so far as I am concerned.
  So far as I can see, there is no harm in letting him have a try at it.

Identifying a time clause

Time clauses are started with adverbs or adverb phrases that show they represent a time (sometimes also functioning as subordinating conjunctions). These include when, after, until, as soon as, before. A clause that starts with an adverb of time like this is not usually a complete grammatical idea, as they work as subordinating conjunctions:

• When the sun sets,
• Before the first lesson begins,
• After my teacher arrives,

Although they have a subject, verb and object, none of these are complete ideas, as they simply point to a time, similar to a clause that simply says “At 7pm.”

This is because when we form a time clause, the adverb of time joins two ideas, linking the main clause to the time in a dependent way. The two clauses could be separate sentences without the adverb of time. Consider the following two clauses:

• I will master English. I will complete every exercise in my textbook.

Either of these could become a time clause, and therefore make the main clause dependent on the timing of the other:

• I will master English after I complete every exercise in my textbook.
• When I master English, I will complete every exercise in my textbook.

Notice, however, that the time clause is no longer in the future tense. Time clauses must be adjusted for certain grammar rules. So watch out for clauses starting with adverbs of time, then consider the following rules.

Time Clause Rules

Patterns for forming time clauses are similar to those for regular clauses, with the same word order (except with an adverb of time first), though time clauses use some particular tense rules.

Time clauses only use different rules for future tenses; when talking about past or present events, you can generally use regular tenses for time clauses.

• Before we cook pies, we wash our hands.
• He came home after he finished work.
• We had dinner before we watched the movie.

For the future, we use the present tenses to talk about future times:

• He will finish reading the book after he eats dinner. (Not after he will eat dinner.)
• They are going to the museum before we arrive. (Not before we are going to arrive.)
• I might practice my pronunciation until my friend’s lesson has finished. (Not until my friend’s lesson will have finished.)

Do not repeat the future tense in clauses with adverbs of time

As you can see in the examples above, when two clauses are joined by adverbs of time the future form should not be repeated.

• She will meet me after it stops raining. (Not after it will stop raining.)
• I’ll turn off my computer when he does. (Not when he will.)

Times clauses and the conditionals

Time clauses, or ‘when’ clauses are often compared to ‘if’ clauses. This is a logical comparison because when discussing the future they are grammatically very similar to the first conditional.

• We will see them when they get here.
• We will see them if they get here.

In both cases the main clause is dependent on the second clause. A time clause shows the event will happen at a certain time, while the if clause shows it will happen if something else happens. As both make the main clause dependent on another detail (time or something that is possible), the grammatical construction is the same.

So you can practise your time clause grammar further by developing your understanding of the first conditional.

Noun phrases

Be careful, because the future tense may still be used if the time adverb introduces a noun clause. The difference is if the clause is the object of a verb, and not a time clause.

• I know when the boat will leave.

This answers the question what (You know what.) rather than when.

Time Clauses Exercise

Combine each of the following pairs of sentences by changing one clause into a time clause, using any of the time adverbs, such as when, after, before, unless, until, as soon as. The first one has been done for you:

• I will read this book. I will eat dinner.
• I will read this book after I eat dinner.

1. He will get wet. He is going swimming.
2. We are meeting the team. The team is arriving at the station.
3. I got to work late. I got up late.
4. The police will catch the criminal. The criminal will make a mistake.
5. They are going on holiday. They are finishing their exams.

Suggested Answers

1. He will get wet when he goes swimming.

2. We will meet the team when they arrive at the station.

3. I got to work late after I got up late.

4. The police will catch the criminal when he makes a mistake.

5. They are going on holiday after they finish their exams.

If you found this article useful, please be aware it is also discussed in the book The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide, available in eBook from this website and paperback format here. Please ask any questions below!